At the beginning of deployment, wireless communication networks, like WiMAX networks (world interoperability microwave access, a wireless metropolitan network technique based on IEEE 802.16 serial standards), are mainly directed to developing countries, outskirts and areas where network infrastructure is not very perfect. There, the number of initial subscribers is very limited, the type of service applications is simplistic, and the demand for network capacity is relatively small. At this point, the key to success lies in how to use the low-cost network coverage technique to enable wireless communication networks to achieve large-scale coverage and fast capture the market. As a solution to “low-mobility broadband IP access”, the WiMAX technique has drawn attention of all parties. How to use relevant low-cost techniques to achieve large-scale WiMAX deployment in the early commercial stages has become a major factor in the large-scale application of the WiMAX technique.
A critical problem for achieving the above large-scale application of wireless communication networks lies in how to achieve fast networking and reduce network construction costs. In this regard, backhaul backhaul has received increasing attention from operators due to its effective approaches to the problems like a high networking cost and difficult wiring. And the technique of using radio resources of a WiMAX base station per se to implement radio backhaul links can solve problems more effectively.
Among the prior arts, there is disclosed a radio microwave technique, like the LMDS technique, to provide a technical solution of wireless return channels for the large-scale WiMAX deployment. The specific solution is as shown in FIG. 1:
In the solution as illustrated in FIG. 1, a WiMAX base station is used for achieving data access of terminal subscribers, and LMDS equipment is used for implementing return channels of WiMAX traffic. The combination of these two techniques can support WiMAX wireless network deployment. While the WiMAX network is being deployed, LMDS equipment should be correspondingly added at the places of each WiMAX base station and a radio access control point (RAC). Additionally, the operator needs to apply for operating frequency resources of both WiMAX and LMDS.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, although the combination of WiMAX and LMDS techniques can support WiMAX wireless return network deployment, costs of the network construction investment and daily operation and maintenance are very high, because two kinds of equipment need to be used during network deployment.
More importantly, these two techniques need to use different radio frequency resources. In practical applications, frequency resources are usually auctions off to operators by the government, and it is hard for most operators to have such abundant frequency resources in specific areas.
Additionally, after years of development, the LMDS technique still does not have a global unified standard, and the interworking of products by different manufacturers is extremely difficult.
Furthermore, LMDS operates in high band and must work in the LOS (line-of-sight) mode, which also restricts its application range.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0062214A1 discloses an in-band wireless communication network backhaul technique. By using allocated spectrum from the mobile station air interface, one or more remote, child access points within a wireless communication network establish backhaul connections to a parent access point having conventional backhaul links to the network. In this manner, backhaul traffic is carried on the standard air interface coexistent with the normal mobile station traffic. However, in the disclosure of this US patent application, one of two base stations implementing backhaul traffic needs to be equipped with a backhaul module and corresponding antennas, wherein the backhaul module acts as a mobile station. Via this backhaul module, a mobile station implements backhaul traffic with another base station. Thus, costs of the network construction investment and daily operation and maintenance will still increase.